Jen Barr
@jenbarr.bsky.social
Anthropologist, public health nerd, and editor. She/her. WASH wonk. Sometimes I write things. Not representative of my employer.
Pinned
Jen Barr
@jenbarr.bsky.social
· Nov 12
Hi! I'm an anthropologist and public health researcher. By day, I work for the state department of PH doing policy analysis. By night, I work as an international water and sanitation consultant. My book on Indian sanitation politics comes out next year. I write, drink coffee, and have cats.
Reposted by Jen Barr
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Congratulations to Stephen Macedo & Frances Lee, whose book In Covid's Wake has been recognized as:
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
December 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Reposted by Jen Barr
Congratulations to everyone who wrote an op-ed about how he just wants americans to eat better
BREAKING: RFKJr directs that the US instantly stop recommending all vaccinations for children. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Under RFK Jr., U.S. plans to stop recommending most vaccines, defer to doctors
The plan, which is not finalized, suggests children get fewer shots and shifts to a model telling parents to consult doctors to make their own vaccine choices.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 19, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Congratulations to everyone who wrote an op-ed about how he just wants americans to eat better
Reposted by Jen Barr
If I sound angry, its because I was/am
'“I’m not interested in her incredibly bad writing," Nair said. "Real people are going to become disabled, sick, and die as a consequence of this.” And it could be years before we see the true scale of the damage.'
Olivia Nuzzi wrote an entire story based on unnamed sources about Biden's decline, reinvigorating calls for him to leave the race -- and the whole time, she was working on RFK Jr.'s behalf, according to her ex-fiance. newrepublic.com/article/2035...
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
If I sound angry, its because I was/am
Reposted by Jen Barr
As I always say when some right-winger starts going on about "red tape that slows innovation", every regulation on the books represents a lesson we as a society learned the hard way, and then encoded so we wouldn't forget. It's someone's blood & pain.
I once knew a Federal bank examiner, and one time someone asked him why we had to KEEP inspecting banks over and over. He basically said every new batch of business school grads invents bank fraud from first principles.
AirBnB CEO calling it “vibe revenue” just 👨🍳 😘
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
November 23, 2025 at 12:17 AM
As I always say when some right-winger starts going on about "red tape that slows innovation", every regulation on the books represents a lesson we as a society learned the hard way, and then encoded so we wouldn't forget. It's someone's blood & pain.
I love my little Shut Up & Write community--a low key way to find a writing community with no pressure to share if you don't want to but people willing to read if you'd like. If you're in Denver area, feel free to join!
www.meetup.com/shutupandwri...
www.meetup.com/shutupandwri...
Shut Up & Write!™ Cafe Óle Lakewood, Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:00 PM | Meetup
Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you, at 5pm on Thursday evenings at Cafe Ole
www.meetup.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I love my little Shut Up & Write community--a low key way to find a writing community with no pressure to share if you don't want to but people willing to read if you'd like. If you're in Denver area, feel free to join!
www.meetup.com/shutupandwri...
www.meetup.com/shutupandwri...
I don't know, maybe before implementing the plagiarism machine in state gov, we can instead get all agencies to use EITHER Google Docs OR Microsoft products.
www.axios.com/local/denver...
www.axios.com/local/denver...
Inside Colorado's "bullish with guardrails" AI approach
Colorado is an example of a state where AI safety remains a top priority.
www.axios.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:15 PM
I don't know, maybe before implementing the plagiarism machine in state gov, we can instead get all agencies to use EITHER Google Docs OR Microsoft products.
www.axios.com/local/denver...
www.axios.com/local/denver...
Reposted by Jen Barr
ME: [extremely burnt out] I need to take the day off to relax
ALSO ME: I wonder if there is a way that I could relax that would be more productive
ALSO ME: I wonder if there is a way that I could relax that would be more productive
December 13, 2024 at 9:11 PM
ME: [extremely burnt out] I need to take the day off to relax
ALSO ME: I wonder if there is a way that I could relax that would be more productive
ALSO ME: I wonder if there is a way that I could relax that would be more productive
Reposted by Jen Barr
The world’s first trillionaire initiated a move that has left more than half a million people dead, most of whom are children.
November 7, 2025 at 7:39 AM
The world’s first trillionaire initiated a move that has left more than half a million people dead, most of whom are children.
Reposted by Jen Barr
We’re giving $40 billion to Argentina.
This is $5 billion MORE that the entire USAID budget that DOGE cut.
This is $5 billion MORE that the entire USAID budget that DOGE cut.
October 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM
We’re giving $40 billion to Argentina.
This is $5 billion MORE that the entire USAID budget that DOGE cut.
This is $5 billion MORE that the entire USAID budget that DOGE cut.
Reposted by Jen Barr
YOU MUST TAKE YOUR MEDICATIONS TO HAVE STRENGTH TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES.
October 18, 2025 at 1:45 PM
YOU MUST TAKE YOUR MEDICATIONS TO HAVE STRENGTH TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES.
Because CO has a non-medical exemption for school vaccines, I have been getting hate mail from both anti AND pro vaccine people.
a man with a mustache is standing in front of a coupe stanley advertisement
ALT: a man with a mustache is standing in front of a coupe stanley advertisement
media.tenor.com
October 17, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Because CO has a non-medical exemption for school vaccines, I have been getting hate mail from both anti AND pro vaccine people.
Reposted by Jen Barr
Please note everyone.
What’s leaving is not just a head count. It’s millions of person-years of accumulated informal knowledge and institutional memory.
The federal government is being destroyed, not reformed.
What’s leaving is not just a head count. It’s millions of person-years of accumulated informal knowledge and institutional memory.
The federal government is being destroyed, not reformed.
(Reuters) - More than 150,000 federal employees will leave the U.S. government payroll this week after accepting buyouts - the largest single-year exodus of civil servants in nearly 80 years ..
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
US government faces brain drain as 154,000 federal workers exit this week
More than 150,000 federal employees will leave the U.S. government payroll this week after accepting buyouts - the largest single-year exodus of civil servants in nearly 80 years, triggering what unions and governance experts warn is a damaging loss of institutional expertise.
www.reuters.com
October 1, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Please note everyone.
What’s leaving is not just a head count. It’s millions of person-years of accumulated informal knowledge and institutional memory.
The federal government is being destroyed, not reformed.
What’s leaving is not just a head count. It’s millions of person-years of accumulated informal knowledge and institutional memory.
The federal government is being destroyed, not reformed.
Anyone get hella stressed getting a haircut? The combo of staring at myself in a mirror and small talking with a stranger is a lot to deal with.
September 29, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Anyone get hella stressed getting a haircut? The combo of staring at myself in a mirror and small talking with a stranger is a lot to deal with.
Reposted by Jen Barr
back to work
September 29, 2025 at 2:41 PM
back to work
Happy football season!
There is a paucity of good evidence suggesting that these interventions reduce substantially the risks of neuropathology that attend participation in a collision sport like American tackle football.
1/
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/u...
1/
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/u...
September 28, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Happy football season!
Fall kitty for Caturday.
September 27, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Fall kitty for Caturday.
Love the new Maintenance Phase ep on Vani Hari, the "food babe." I used to teach her stuff to undergrads to study how science can be distorted and manipulated. (Also used the aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy as a contrast for how corporates do it.)
September 25, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Love the new Maintenance Phase ep on Vani Hari, the "food babe." I used to teach her stuff to undergrads to study how science can be distorted and manipulated. (Also used the aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy as a contrast for how corporates do it.)
"They can’t get me scared. I will not give them what they want. I will not just leave. I’m going to make it as difficult as possible for these fuckheads.
www.wired.com/story/oral-h...
www.wired.com/story/oral-h...
The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers
WIRED spoke with more than 200 federal workers in dozens of agencies to learn what happened as the Department of Government Efficiency tore through their offices.
www.wired.com
September 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
"They can’t get me scared. I will not give them what they want. I will not just leave. I’m going to make it as difficult as possible for these fuckheads.
www.wired.com/story/oral-h...
www.wired.com/story/oral-h...
I've been following Zach Wahls (off and on) since he started a campaign in Boy Scouts of America to eliminate the anti-LGBTQ policies. (I was in Venture Crew, a co-ed offshoot of BSA.) So excited to see his trajectory!
5 of the people on this list are @runforsomething.net alum. The future of the Democratic Party will be defined by leaders like Chi Osse, Manny Rutinel, Mallory McMorrow, Zach Wahls, and James Talarico.
Very cool package I got to work on for the latest @wired.com politics issue w/ @makenakelly.bsky.social & Elisa Muyl (our politics fellow & CUNY grad student who really made this thing shine).
Save a tab on some of these names: www.wired.com/story/wired-...
Save a tab on some of these names: www.wired.com/story/wired-...
September 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I've been following Zach Wahls (off and on) since he started a campaign in Boy Scouts of America to eliminate the anti-LGBTQ policies. (I was in Venture Crew, a co-ed offshoot of BSA.) So excited to see his trajectory!
Reposted by Jen Barr
Tums causes hurricanes. How about that
September 22, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Tums causes hurricanes. How about that
Hydrology is insanely complex--why would anyone believe Musk's approach here?
"That works fine in the private sector, but not the public sector,” [Rock Owens] said. “We’re not looking at Mr. Musk’s personal fortune; we’re looking at the livelihood and lifelong investments of people who live here.”
"That works fine in the private sector, but not the public sector,” [Rock Owens] said. “We’re not looking at Mr. Musk’s personal fortune; we’re looking at the livelihood and lifelong investments of people who live here.”
Elon Musk refused to answer our questions about a $760M flood control project his Boring Co. wants to build in Houston. Then he posted about it on X.
➡️ FACT CHECK: Experts say his response isn’t supported by data. Here's why: https://propub.li/46lWRSe
W/ @houstonchronicle.com @kutnews.bsky.social
➡️ FACT CHECK: Experts say his response isn’t supported by data. Here's why: https://propub.li/46lWRSe
W/ @houstonchronicle.com @kutnews.bsky.social
September 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Hydrology is insanely complex--why would anyone believe Musk's approach here?
"That works fine in the private sector, but not the public sector,” [Rock Owens] said. “We’re not looking at Mr. Musk’s personal fortune; we’re looking at the livelihood and lifelong investments of people who live here.”
"That works fine in the private sector, but not the public sector,” [Rock Owens] said. “We’re not looking at Mr. Musk’s personal fortune; we’re looking at the livelihood and lifelong investments of people who live here.”
Good morning and greetings from beautiful Keystone, Colorado! This week is Public Health in the Rockies Conference, which will be an adventure in me trying to remember how to do a conference (it's been years) and doing deep ethnography of this strange culture known as "public health."
September 9, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Good morning and greetings from beautiful Keystone, Colorado! This week is Public Health in the Rockies Conference, which will be an adventure in me trying to remember how to do a conference (it's been years) and doing deep ethnography of this strange culture known as "public health."
A short 🧵 on giving stakeholder feedback on revising regs! So, most regulation revision processes require some sort of stakeholder/community feedback. The goal is to figure out if there is something in proposed revisions that could cause an unexpected problem, a def that needs to be tweaked etc...
September 7, 2025 at 3:42 PM
A short 🧵 on giving stakeholder feedback on revising regs! So, most regulation revision processes require some sort of stakeholder/community feedback. The goal is to figure out if there is something in proposed revisions that could cause an unexpected problem, a def that needs to be tweaked etc...
An anti-vax email railing against a policy we don't actually have (CO has an incredibly lenient non-medical exemption law for school vaccines) and the best part is the cheerful "Thanks!" at the end.
September 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
An anti-vax email railing against a policy we don't actually have (CO has an incredibly lenient non-medical exemption law for school vaccines) and the best part is the cheerful "Thanks!" at the end.
Great summary of p-hacking
A short explanation of p-hacking and why it absolutely makes sense to ask HHS to release the study methods of their autism report in advance.
September 6, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Great summary of p-hacking